Luis Herrera (cyclist) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Luis Herrera

Personal information
Full name	Luis Alberto Herrera
Nickname	Lucho El jardinerito de Fusagasugá
Born	(1961-05-04) May 4, 1961 (age 64) Fusagasugá, Colombia
Team information
Current team	Retired
Discipline	Road
Role	Rider
Rider type	Climbing specialist
Major wins
Grand Tours Tour de France Mountains classification (1985, 1987) 3 individual stages (1984, 1985) Giro d'Italia Mountains classification (1989) 3 individual stages (1989, 1992) Vuelta a España General classification (1987) Mountains classification (1987, 1991) 2 individual stages (1987, 1991) Stage races Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré (1988, 1991) Vuelta a Colombia (1984, 1985, 1986, 1988) Clásico RCN (1982, 1983, 1984, 1986)

Luis Alberto "Lucho" Herrera Herrera is a famous retired Colombian road racing cyclist. He was born on May 4, 1961, in Fusagasugá, Colombia. People often called him "El jardinerito," which means "the little gardener."

Lucho Herrera became a professional cyclist in 1985 and raced until 1992. Before that, he had a very successful time as an amateur cyclist in Colombia. He was especially good at climbing hills on his bike.

Early Cycling Days and Big Wins

Lucho Herrera started his cycling journey in 1981. He competed in the Vuelta a Colombia, a major race in his home country. He finished 16th overall and was 3rd among the new riders.

In 1982, he won the Clásico RCN, another important Colombian race. He won it again in 1983, along with two stages. In 1984, he had an amazing year, winning both the Vuelta a Colombia and the Clásico RCN.

Making History at the Tour de France

In 1984, Lucho Herrera made history at the Tour de France. He won Stage 17, which ended at the famous Alpe d'Huez mountain. This made him the first Colombian ever to win a stage in the Tour de France. He was also the first amateur cyclist to win a stage in the race's history.

He continued to dominate in Colombia, winning the Vuelta a Colombia and the Clásico RCN four times each during his career.

Winning a Grand Tour

Lucho Herrera's biggest achievement came in 1987. He won the entire Vuelta a España, which is one of the three biggest cycling races in the world, called Grand Tours. He was the very first South American cyclist to win a Grand Tour!

He also won the Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré twice, in 1988 and 1991. This is another very important stage race.

King of the Mountains

Lucho Herrera was known as an incredible climber. He won the "King of the Mountains" jersey five times across the three Grand Tours. This jersey is given to the best climber in the race. He is only the second cyclist in history to win the King of the Mountains jersey in all three Grand Tours: the Tour de France, the Giro d'Italia, and the Vuelta a España. The first person to do this was Federico Bahamontes from Spain.

Career Highlights

Lucho Herrera had many impressive results throughout his career. Here are some of his major wins:

Grand Tour Results Over the Years

This table shows how Lucho Herrera finished in the overall standings of the three biggest cycling races, the Grand Tours, each year he competed.

Grand Tour	1984	1985	1986	1987	1988	1989	1990	1991	1992
Vuelta a España	—	DNF	—	1	20	—	12	13	DNF
Giro d'Italia	—	—	—	—	—	18	—	—	8
Tour de France	27	7	22	5	6	19	—	31	—

See also

In Spanish: Lucho Herrera para niños